The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-03-30
Bishop EARLY.

IL became necessary IOr MIN, IN 60
ing from one point to another on his
large circuit, to pass through a region
of country where he was personally
unknown. At midday he called at a
house by the way side to get his din
ner and to have his horse fed. His
manners were courtly, and his appear
ance genteel. He was cordially well
coined by the gentleman of the house.
No name was given. The family prov
ed to be cultivated and intelligent.
Besides the gentleman of the house,
he found his wife and grown daugh-
ters, and Northern school teacher in
the family. The teacher was disen-
gagged at the dinner hour, and the pass
ing stranger was thrown with the
whole family circle during the hour or
two spent by him for rest and refresh
ment on his journey. The converse.
ton turned from one topic to another
until at last some one in the circle re-
ferred to the stories told of a Metho.
dist preacher by the name of Early,
who was running the people wild with
fanatical religious excitement in diff
ferentsections of the country, more or
less remote from the neighborhood in
which we now find the itinerant.
First one and then another in the fam
lily circle gave vent to censure and vic.
lent criticism, amounting to positive
abuse, heaped upon the preacher. "He
ought to be driven out of the country"
said the mother. "He 30 frightens the
people that even the women fall on
Tie floor and scream and roll in the
dirt, so they say" added the daughter.
Then the sehoolmaster, called "Icha-
bod Crane" by the bishop in giving
the narrative, interposed the remark,
with a nasal twang, "If we had him
in higher latitude we would silence
him, or drive him out of the country
and so they went on. The stranger
said nothing, further than to ask if|
what they said was mere rumor, or did
they have it from eye witnesses? II
was only what they had heard, but
there could be no doubt of the facts, AS
stated by them. The stranger intima-
ted that sometimes such rumors were
greatly exaggerated by being repeated
and spread beyond the range of eye
witnesses. The gentleman Of the
house said but little. Dinner being
over the strangers horse was ordered.
He asked for his bill; no charge was
made. Then said the departing guest:
IT am a preacher, and if there is no
objections I will pray with the family
before leaving the house." This was
politely assented to, and they knelt in
prayer.
While the prayer was going up the
Divine power came down as on the
day of Pentecost. The schoolmaster
took fright and fled in haste from the
room. When the prayer was conclu.,
ded the wife and daughter remained
kneeling, and both of them, in tears,
were praying for mercy. The stran-
ger spoke to them tenderly and en-.
couragingly, and instructed them IN
the way Of salvation. On leaving the
door, the gentleman of the house went
with the stranger to the HORSEBACK,
and on parting with him asked his
name. "My name," said the stran-
ger, lis John Edry." "What! not
the man of whom you have heard 50
much said in my family?" "The
same,n replied the departing guest.
"Then," said the gentleman, "you
must dismount and go back to the
house, and let my wife and daughter
ask your pardon" "For this there is
no OCCASION" was the reply. "No of.
fense was intended for me personally
The preacher left, but good seed had
been deposited. At his next appoint
ment, within striking distance of the
family, the preacher found them all
present. All professed conversion,
and a new church was soon planted In
the neighborhood of the scene descrlb-
ed, and the family in question became
the leading members. The case recit-
ed is but one of the many similar incl
dents that occurred in connection with
the preaching of John Early in the
first wears of his ministry.